I thought I would put together a post all about a few of the new things that have been picked up over the past couple of months, this post is long over due so here it goes.

This black bag from LYDC* has been a welcome addition to the handbags I own. The simple black design with the gold coloured hardware means that it pretty much goes with everything. It's a decent size too, very important for someone who carries the world in their bag.

Sainsburys seem to be having a massive sale on all their home items at the moment. We popped in there yesterday and picked up a fair few things. My favourites are the heart shaped bowls, I finally have some and these were only £4.50. Along with these I also picked up four slate placemats to match the coasters I bought a few months back. These were only £5 for two and I think that was down from around £15! Bargains!

Also from The City Rack is the bright pink dress with necklace*. Something that is a little out of my comfort zone with no sleeves and being bright pink I didn't think that I would like it, but I do. It's one of those dresses that you can wear a number of ways. At the moment its too tight to wear but a few more weeks of Charli Slims and I will be wearing this dress all the time.

Let me introduce you to the newest additions (apart from tropical fish) to our flat. Meet Spot and Tiger the two new fancy goldfish in my life. I absolutely love goldfish, I always have and I always will. I think you can get as much enjoyment out of them as you get with the more expensive fish of this world.

The day after my spa day last weekend I went to pick these guys up. Matt and I decided on a date day, which for us mostly means mooching around garden centres, home shops and animal places. It's what we like to do, finding little things that make our flat out home. Anywho I managed to pick up this beauty of a tank from Homesense for only £7.99. A massive bargain considering that fish tank bowls are usually £30+!! I like that it's basically a large wine glass, a bit more interesting that a glass bowl.

I knew I wanted the fancy goldfish just down to my personal taste, I think they are so pretty and ornamental. Faced with a whole wall full of them I stood in awe knowing that I was only going to come away with two. I'm not kidding, there was about 12 tanks with fancy goldfish in ranging from black to orange to white. I'd spotted Spot straight away, he just stood out because the black spots on him are perfect circles. I'd never seen a fish like him before just so pretty and interesting. It took me a little longer to find Tiger (named because of the one stripe he has - original I know) I toyed with the idea of an all black fish but their eyes creeped me out. I didn't like the all white ones because they looked like that would just blend in against our wall at home. Then I saw him, loved that he was half and half and told the man to put him in the bag with Spot because I had chosen.

I love them, I love how the tank looks on our shelves!

There is a lot more work with a tank that has no filter, oxygen tablets, plants and regular changes are needed so do your research! Keeping fish is nothing new to me so I know exactly what I was getting myself in to.

Over the past few weeks I have had two very different experiences which have made me feel very reflective on my life. I've experienced someone very close to me wanting to leave this earth earlier than destined to and made serious advances to accomplish that, it's an experience I never want again. On the other hand I watched as two very close friends buried their newborn daughter, a beautiful girl who's life never even began.

I have had to dig deep to find the light at the end of all this,which may sound dramatic but it's affected me in ways that I never thought would happen. I have found it really hard to shift the negative thoughts and feelings, have had little to no time to do anything for myself - let alone blog. I have many posts that need to go live, videos to edit and things I wanted to do in my spare time. All seem so insignificant given what's happened.

Slimming world wise that's taken a back seat. I've gained then lost the same few pounds over this past month which has been frustrating but my heart wasn't in it. Another reason why there has been no "Charli Slims" videos or posts. I'm now back on it, back in the gym, zumba and insanity with my eating back on track. I don't want to lose looking after myself in all this.

I realise this is a really cryptic post and I am the first to get frustrated when reading these types of posts, but it's all I want to or can say on the subject of where I've been. To the few that know the extent of what's happened - thank you. Your texts, calls and messages have meant the world to know that people actually do care! To those who have shared news with me, thank you, you know who you are and you know how much it made me smile.

I don't think I would have got through a lot of this past year without my other half Matt. He literally is my other half, rock, everything. Sickeningly soppy I know, but it's been over this past year I have truly realised how much I rely on him even down to day to day living.

Anyway, I've spent yesterday taking a few photos of things I want to share, blog about and upload. I just need to edit and get my head back into typing. Anyone else sometimes find this really hard when you are on a computer all day in work?